Dietary Protein Intake Is Protective Against Loss of Grip Strength Among Older Adults in the Framingham Offspring Cohort

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2016-03, Vol.71 (3), p.356-361
• Main Authors: McLean, Robert R, Mangano, Kelsey M, Hannan, Marian T, Kiel, Douglas P, Sahni, Shivani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - physiology; Body Mass Index; Child; Child, Preschool; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gerontology; Hand Strength - physiology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motor Activity - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Muscular system; Older people; Proteins; Public health; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1079-5006; 1758-535X
• DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glv184

Age-related decline in muscle strength is an important public health issue for older adults. Dietary protein has been associated with maintenance of muscle mass, yet its relation to muscle strength remains unclear. We determined the association of dietary protein (total, animal, and plant) intake, measured by food frequency questionnaire, with change in grip strength over 6 years in 1,746 men and women from the Framingham Offspring cohort. Mean age at baseline was 58.7 years (range: 29-85), and mean total, animal, and plant protein intakes were 79, 57, and 22 g/d, respectively. Adjusted baseline mean grip strength did not differ across quartiles of energy-adjusted total, animal or protein intake. Greater protein intake, regardless of source, was associated with less decrease in grip strength (all p for trend ≤.05): participants in the lowest quartiles lost 0.17% to 0.27% per year while those in the highest quartiles gained 0.52% to 0.60% per year. In analyses stratified by age, participants aged 60 years or older (n = 646) had similar linear trends on loss of grip strength for total and animal (all p for trend